In a move that’s rattling newsrooms from Manhattan to Hollywood, Bari Weiss—the outspoken co-founder of The Free Press—has been named editor in chief of CBS News, one of America’s most storied broadcast institutions. The appointment, confirmed Monday by Paramount, caps a rapid rise for a journalist once known more for culture-war commentary than network leadership .
Table of Contents
- From NYT Op-Ed Writer to Media Maverick
- The Free Press and the Fight Against “Wokeness”
- Billionaire Backing and Media Influence
- What Her CBS Role Actually Means
- Industry Reaction: Polarized but Pivotal
- Sources
From NYT Op-Ed Writer to Media Maverick
Bari Weiss first gained national attention as an op-ed editor and writer at The New York Times, where she championed ideological diversity and criticized what she saw as growing intolerance toward conservative or heterodox views. Her 2020 resignation letter—accusing the paper of “a kind of woke McCarthyism”—went viral and cemented her status as a lightning rod in media circles.
Just a year later, she co-founded The Free Press, a Substack-turned-media brand that quickly grew into a hub for anti-“cancel culture” voices, featuring contributors like Glenn Loury, Andrew Sullivan, and even Elon Musk.
The Free Press and the Fight Against “Wokeness”
Under Weiss’s leadership, The Free Press positioned itself as a counterweight to what it described as “performative activism” and “institutional conformity” in mainstream journalism. The outlet’s tagline—“Independent. Fearless. Free.”—became a rallying cry for readers disillusioned with legacy media.
By 2025, it employed over 50 staff, ran live events, and boasted a six-figure subscriber base. Its success wasn’t just cultural—it was financial. And that’s where the billionaires came in.
Billionaire Backing and Media Influence
Weiss cultivated relationships with tech and finance elites who shared her skepticism of progressive orthodoxy. Among her key supporters: venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, and media entrepreneur Laurene Powell Jobs.
These connections helped The Free Press secure funding, expand its reach, and—critically—gain credibility with corporate decision-makers. When Paramount began searching for a bold new voice to revitalize CBS News, Weiss’s blend of digital savvy, audience loyalty, and elite access made her an irresistible candidate.
Bari Weiss’s CBS News Mandate
As editor in chief, Weiss won’t just oversee digital strategy—she’ll have editorial authority over flagship programs like “60 Minutes,” “CBS Evening News,” and “CBS Sunday Morning.” She’ll report directly to Paramount CEO David Ellison and work alongside CBS News president Tom Cibrowski.
In a letter to subscribers, Weiss framed the move as mission-driven: “It gives The Free Press a chance to help reshape a storied media organization—to help guide CBS News into a future that honors those great values that underpin The Free Press and the best of American journalism.”
The $150 million acquisition of The Free Press—paid in cash and Paramount stock—ensures Weiss’s team will be integrated into CBS’s operations, potentially reshaping its tone, sourcing, and storytelling for years to come.
Industry Reaction: Polarized but Pivotal
Reactions have split sharply. Supporters hail the appointment as a long-overdue correction to media groupthink. Critics worry that a figure known for culture-war framing may undermine CBS’s reputation for neutral, fact-based reporting.
Yet one thing is clear: this isn’t just a personnel change. It’s a signal that legacy networks are no longer immune to the disruptive forces reshaping digital media—and that ideological credibility now carries as much weight as journalistic pedigree.
